


Maybe I’ll stick around for you.

by HopeLupin



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Battle of Hogwarts, Charlie Talking to Teddy, Post-Battle of Hogwarts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:41:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23810989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HopeLupin/pseuds/HopeLupin
Summary: Once the battle is over, family members come to identify the dead. Charlie Weasley finds some hope to follow leaving the battle.
Kudos: 13





	Maybe I’ll stick around for you.

The rubble lay cold on the ground, the main dust and dirt had been brushed to the side and the bodies still lay on the clean floor of the great hall. A parade of mourning family members made their way through the strong doors, the sound of sobs echoed through the halls as the warm sunlight beamed down through the broken ceiling. 

A large group of redheads sat around one of the bodies, the matriarch sat with the lifeless form in her arms. The battle was over and won, but they were unable to leave with everything so broken. One of the eldest red heads stood turning to look at a woman who was walking towards the group, the woman held a baby in her arms, his little hands grabbing towards the older woman. “Andromeda.” the red head said. 

“Charlie, I… I’m so glad to see you're safe.” she said moving her hand forward to stroke the side of his face. “I am sorry for your loss.” She said with a sad smile, not looking away from his face. 

“As I am for yours.” He said with a sad smile back. “Would you like me to take Edward?” he asked, “So you may have time… to… just so you may have time.” Charlie asked, tears welling in his eyes as he was unable to look at the bodies that were so close to them. Andromeda nodded, tears welling in her own eyes. 

“That would be much appreciated. He seems to enjoy the outside if you’d prefer to step away for this.” She said and passed the small baby into the man’s arms. He held the baby with such delicate touch.

“I will be outside when you are ready.” He said and moved to step away, he turned back to the group of red heads to see his elder brother nod towards him and Charlie walked outside. 

Once he reached the grounds around the ruined castle he could feel his chest expand, the tension of the room lifted and he could see the sky again, Charlie had never been one to stay inside for very long. The baby in his arms seemed to enjoy it too, the tuft of fluffy hair on his head turning the blue of the sky above him. “Your Grandma was right, you do like it outside Edward.” Charlie said rocking the baby in his arms. “Your dad said you prefered Teddy though.” the baby smiled at this, “Teddy it is.” 

Charlie walked across the grounds, he made his way past ghosts of the battle, pieces of the castle scattered the grounds, large mounds of dirt that had been kicked up by the giants, thankfully all of the bodies had been moved into the great hall. He made his way to the waters edge, the rippling water brushing against the ground. “I used to hang out here with your mum.” He said to the little baby. “We used to come here to talk about pranks.” He laughed to himself and watched as the baby yawned. “I know, it’s been a long day hasn’t it.” He said with a soft smile and kissed the top of the baby’s head. 

“Your mum used to be my best friend, until I moved to Romania. I mean neither of us were good at keeping contact, your mum’s letters used to be about a sentence because she’s lost her concentration after that. Maybe you’ll have your dad’s letter writing skills, not that I know what they are like.” Charlie said, moving to sit on one of the large tree roots that stuck out of the ground. He moved and rested the baby on his legs so he lay along his lap. “I didn’t really know your dad that well, I think Bill got to know him better than I did. Merlin, I can already talk about them in the past tense. I didn’t mean… Sorry Teddy.” Charlie said looking down at the baby who had opened his eyes and was looking around. 

“I loved your mum. I guess I still love her.” Charlie said with a sad smile. “I don’t mean like that, Merlin, imagine if I was your dad, absolutely useless. I think at one point maybe both of us thought it would happen, you know it was natural she was my best mate, I didn’t care about anyone else. But that’s when I realised I really didn’t like anybody else, Bill used to joke and say I only fancied dragons. Oh Teddy you’ll love Dragons, we’ve got this Antipodean Opaleye at the moment, just a baby but it’s eyes, multicoloured and shimmering.” Charlie smiled and moved to hold the baby’s hands and reached down to press a raspberry on his little hands. “Your mum was the only person I actually told, I've just left everyone else to assume. It’s not that I don’t like people, I mean I love my family and friends, I’m going to be your coolest Uncle that’s not actually your Uncle ever. I’m just happy being me, and your mum got that. I’m glad she found your dad, they needed each other. You could see that. They lit up when they were around each other, and that wasn’t just your mum’s hair.” Charlie laughed, his head whipped around when there was a noise behind him but he just saw Hagrid making his way towards his hut. 

Hagrid lifted a hand in acknowledgment but continued with his journey in which Charlie nodded in return. “You’re going to have so many people that love you Teddy. Your Godfather is going to be the best and when you hang out with him, you can see my brother too. Ron. He’s great. The golden trio looking after you, not every kid gets to say that. My mum is going to spoil you rotten, honorary Weasley you’ll be. Maybe even get a Weasley jumper. Maybe I could knit you one, Mum would love it if one of us learnt to knit.” Charlie sighed softly. Teddy started to play with Charlie’s hands. “Careful kid, they’re a bit rough.” He said being cautious with the baby in front of him. 

“I promise to always be here for you, whatever you need. A shoulder to cry on. A long chat. You need to illegally move dragons around the country, I’ll be here. I’ll even talk to you about girls if you want, or boys… Or Whatever you know.” Charlie smiled. “You’ll be a charmer either way, especially from your mother.” The little baby’s hair turned from blue to the same colour as Charlie’s. “See charming already.” 

“I miss my brother.” Charlie said looking out to the lake. “I miss all of them, I’ve stayed away for so long and I come back and they are broken…” Charlie chewed his lip staring at the horizon. “I lost Fred. I didn’t spend enough time with him, I didn’t get to know him, I didn’t love him enough. I can’t let this ruin everything else. I have to let them know how much I love them. So maybe I’m sticking around for a bit, kid.” Charlie looked back down at the baby. “Maybe I’ll stick around for you. Stick around for them. Stick around for Fred.” Charlie smiled as the baby closed his eyes again. Charlie bundled him up and pulled him into his arms as he started to make his way back to the castle. 

Charlie saw Andromeda stood in the doorway, her face neutral and masked. Charlie walked up to her and pulled her into his arms. “Anything you need Meda, anything at all you call me.” He said against the top of her head. The older woman melted into his embrace, he held her up as she sobbed into his arms. “Thank you.” She said quietly. They stood like that for a long while, Charlie faced into the great hall, the bodies still lay on the ground, his family still huddled together in the center of the room. Yes, he was going to stay for a while.


End file.
